The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-15
THE OLD NEoRo's CHARGE.

on bench in railway station. Her head rested on a bundle of shawls. Her face was pale and thin, and its many lines presented vivid etching of despair. An old negro man at tended her. The woman put out her hand, and held it out in swaying mo- tion.
 "Why does she do that?" some one asked.
 Thinks dat's she's rockin' de cradle, sah," the old negro replied.
 "Would you mind telling me something about her? She seems to me to have history"
 Il doan know bout dat, sah, but I do know dat de po' chile hab seed CT heep CT trouble Bout two year ergo she fell powerful in Tub wid CT young man dat had come ter de neighborhood. Her folks didn' want i'm ter come ter de 'ouse, cage da didn' know nothin' erbout i'm an didn' like his 'pearance, da didn'. But she love i'm so dat it didn' make no ditfunce wi her, an alter w'ile she tuck an run erway an maird i'm. Da went fir of, da did, an I doan know wudder her folks eber look fur lem UT not, but 1 know Jo Io 1s1,,t s..fs good man, an he want good ter her, an rum bo'din' ill CT fine 'ouse he kep' CT comin' down till he got me ter take 'em ter bod way out fur in de country. had two cabins close ter gedder, an I let lem hab one O 'em, an 1 sot two tables an let lem eat at one. At fust he would come ter see her putty often, but he look like it wuz CT mighty bodder to i'm, an alter w'ile he didn' come but erbout ever munt. She wuz CT putty lady she wuz, indeed, sah, but no looks gwine stay bright long ef da ain tended ter. Da's got ter hab sunshine, UT da gwine wiver. Sometimes in de ebenin' she'd sing songs dat would make us all mighty sad, but we didn' plain erbout it, fur it 'peared like we wuz all bet ter cage she wuz dar. One time wen her husban' come she wuz in de bed, an wen he step inter de room she pulled down de kiver easy, an say:
 "'Yere's CT little image O yerse'f'
 "He sorter grunt an didn't pay much ertention ter de chile. He went erway dat ebenin', an de naixt day we're come CT letter by CT boy tellin' Ger dat she ain't gwine ter see him no mo-. She cried like her heart would bre'k wen she read it, an said suthin erbout bein' put outen de 'ouse. Den my wife she say, Honey, doan let dat bodder yer. Yer mout uv knowed w'ite folks ter put pussons outen houses cage da couldn' pay de rent, but yer neber knowed desc we're ole-time niggers ter do it. Wy, honey, dar ain't nobody dat's got mo soul den de ole-time niggers. Does yer know wy? Pll tell yer wy. It wuz bercaze, bein' bornd in slabery, an knowin' dar want no freedom O de body waitin' fur lem, da looked ter de Lawd fur de freedom O de soul-- kep' dar mines on de soul, an, honey, de more yer thinks erbout de soul de bigger it gifts. Doan yer be pestered, honey, bout bein' put outen de 'ouse.'
 "De po' lady put CT arms erroun my wife-an' it wuz CT much erdo cage my wife is monst'us fat 'oman. Fat wen I maird her. Huh, want roun' lookin' for lean niggers, I want. De pol lady put her arms roun' mer wife an cry almos' fit ter kill herself. She got so she could get crbout CT little, but she want well. She'd take sleep in spells, she would, an it peer like she neber gwine wake up. De little chile want we'll, nuther, an one mawnin wen mer wife went inter de lady's room she fouR de po' little thing dead in the cradle. We sont alter some w'ite folks, am bless yer da didn wanter come. Lowed dat w'ite folks had no bizness libin' wid nig0era- aus dat